Besides the obvious inconvenience of managing a cast and the awkwardness of seeing your child lug it around, the issue of bathing can present a challenge. Casts must stay dry. To bathe a child, you need to work with water. do this so that your child is clean and the cast is undamaged requires some trial and error.
Instructions
1. Avoid the shower. Even if your child is old enough to be in the shower by themselves, managing the protection of a cast and the manipulation of the water is simply too much. You'll end up with a sodden cast, a dirty child and a mess.
2. Use a plastic bag. While there are certainly products that you can purchase that are meant to slip over and protect a cast from exposure to water, a good old plastic bag is cost effective and just as useful. Depending on the size of the cast, you can use a shopping bag or a grocery bag slipped over the limb in question.
3. Cover the top of the cast with a washcloth. Tuck it into the edges of the cast (not too aggressively or your child will be uncomfortable). No matter how carefully you place the plastic bag, you'll want a washcloth to absorb any run off during the bathing process.
4. Run a shallow bath. You will be moving quickly so there's no need to worry about the water cooling too quickly and less water means less potential for problems with the cast. Make it deep enough that your child's bottom can be rinsed properly, but not so deep that it covers their legs.
5. Have your child keep the cast out of the bathing area if at all possible. If it's a broken ankle or lower leg, this is relatively easy. Have the child lie down in a shallow bath and stick her plastic bag covered leg out of the tub. But an arm cast presents more of a challenge. Have the child simply keep it stable and above water so that you can bathe around it.
6. Use a plastic bowl or cup to sluice water over your child prior to soaping up. Then use it to rinse off the soap. For a child with a cast on his arm, have him sit in the water, bathe his upper body, rinse and then have him stand up and wash his lower body. The lower body can be rinsed while washing his hair. For the child with a lower body cast, have him sit up to wash his upper body and hair and then lie down to rinse and wash the lower extremities.
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